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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · arm · bulb · clip · field · foot · march · bore

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bore — to drill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. march — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. march — the month
  9. field — a subject
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — a committee
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bulb — for light
  18. clip — to cut
  19. field — farmland
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com